Years Gone By
by C.E.L.L1
Summary: It's been 20 years since graduation, and one lucky person comes back to shock everyone with his new life.


A/N: Let's just say that this is the first HA! fic I have brought myself to upload. I don't care if the characters seem OOC (Out Of Character), people change over time.  
  
  
  
I couldn't believe it. I looked over the envelope from H.S. 118. My 20 year reunion. It sure doesn't seem like twenty years had gone by, but here it is, October, 2025. Twenty years older, twenty years wiser, twenty years out of touch with the old gang, good ole' class of '05.  
  
I threw the envelope in the trash. I didn't need their shit, nobody ever saw me for who I was. The one girl who had all my affection hated me, even had a restraining order against me for some time. The last thing I needed was for her to make a scene of things.  
  
High school wasn't fun. I wasn't the smartest one, yet wasn't the stupid one. A little above average, but not much. I had graduated with a 2.67 GPA. I had taken a year off, to think about what I really wanted to do with my life. A year later I enrolled at the community college, and later transferred into a university with a quality computer program.  
  
It was fifteen years ago that I graduated from college, with the second highest GPA of my class, 3.99. Fifteen years since I started working for one of the lesser known Internet software companies.  
  
So here I am, 39 years old, I have several million dollars to my name, but am still single. Not the way I would have liked to be at this age. Money didn't buy me happiness, and never will.  
  
After sitting on the deck for a while, I decided that I would go anyway. I picked the envelope out of the trash can, and brought it with me. I hadn't seen anyone from school since graduation. I opted not to go for the 10 year reunion. I packed a couple suitcases, with my best Armani suit, and some normal clothes.  
  
I set out for the airport in my Mercedes. I paid extra to have it sent to Hillwood when I arrived. Everyone would be so surprised to see how I am doing now.  
  
I arrived two hours later, and got myself a room at the Sunset Arms. Nice old place it is.  
  
Two days later, I headed out toward H.S. 118, in my Armani suit. I parked my car, and went inside.  
  
There, at the table in the corner, I saw her. She sat all alone, in the nicest dress I have ever seen her in. I walked over and sat down. She didn't seem to recognize me. I introduced myself, man you should have seen the look on her face! She seemed surprised, confused, shocked, and the such.  
  
After a couple minutes, she finally spoke to me.  
  
"Brainy! What are you doing here?", she inquired.  
  
"Well, I did graduate with all you guys, so I decided to finally come to one of these cheesy reunions.", I replied.  
  
"So, how have you been these last twenty years?"  
  
"Oh, not bad, I've just been working, saving my money for some reason or another."  
  
"Are you married?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no, I never met anyone who could see me for who I am. Are you?"  
  
"Well, I was for a couple years, but it just didn't work out."  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
"Harold. A couple years after we divorced, I heard he had killed himself."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't heard about it."  
  
"Yeah, I never could bring myself to remarry after it happened. I thought I had somehow brought him to doing it or something."  
  
"Helga, I'm sorry if I am intruding on your life, I mean, I wasn't exactly the nicest person back then."  
  
"Brainy, it's alright. You seem to be doing a lot better than then."  
  
"Please, call me John, I mean it is my real name after all."  
  
"Really? I never knew that."  
  
"Yep, John Steinmetz is my full name. Say, you want to go get a drink after all this shit is over?"  
  
"Sure, I'm sure I'll need it. Let's go see what's new with everyone else."  
  
We walked over to Arnold and Gerald. They had been talking over a few business deals.  
  
"Hey Arnold, Gerald.", I said.  
  
"Brainy?", Arnold asked.  
  
"Yeah, John actually, but yeah, I came this time."  
  
"John? What did you legally change your name or something?", Gerald asked.  
  
"No, it is actually my real name.", I replied.  
  
"So what's been going on for you two?", Arnold asked.  
  
"Well, I've just been working, I've taken a week off to come north for this reunion."  
  
"Yeah, whatd'ya do, and where?"  
  
"I'm the vice president of an Internet multimedia software company"  
  
Gerald left us to go find his wife, Phoebe.  
  
"Damn John, you've sure got it going on nowadays, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, except that I haven't started a family yet."  
  
"Well, ya know, I hear that Helga over there", Arnold says as he points toward Helga, who is getting a glass of wine, "is still single, well is single again I should say."  
  
"Yeah, she told me everything. What've you been doing lately Arnold?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much, except for the fact that every company I have worked for has gone bankrupt, and I always end up getting laid off."  
  
"Oh, sorry to hear that."  
  
"No, no, you don't need to show sympathy, I know what you executive types are like, you tell people what they want to hear."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me, you just tell people what you think they want to hear."  
  
"Arnold, you still don't know me, and probably never will, I mean, to stereotype me, just because I have the job I do, I mean, dude, back off man!"  
  
"Sorry, I just get really depressed about how my life has been after school and all."  
  
"Hey, shit happens. You've got to try to look at everything like there is a good side to it. Everything happens for a reason."  
  
"Ya know, you're right. I never thought I'd hear something like that come from you John, no offense or anything, heh"  
  
"None taken. If ya don't mind, I'm gonna go see what Helga is up to. See ya around Arnold."  
  
"Sure, go ahead."  
  
I walked off, in search of my beloved, Helga. It seemed that she might have time for me now….  
  
A/N: So, what do ya guys think so far? I know it isn't perfect, but I am revising it, and adding on to it later. 


End file.
